Massive cuts in care spending – how will it affect you?

Posted on 10/03/2014

A new report from Age
UK shows the scale of cuts that have been made to social care funding in
the last few years. The report suggests that at least £769m has been taken away
from services for older people since 2010.

Despite there being 30% more people aged 85 and over since
2005 - those people most likely to need care - social care spending has dropped
by £1.2bn since 2010. This shortfall has been partially cushioned by a £438m
transfer from the NHS budget to local authorities.

What this means for you is that you are only likely to
receive financial aid from your local authority if an assessment finds that
your needs are ‘substantial’ or even ‘critical’, as there is not enough money
to fund services to help those with ‘moderate’ or ‘low’ needs. So, while you
may struggle with everyday tasks like preparing food, going shopping or
bathing, you will need to pay for your own home help if you feel that it is required.

Whether you are eligible for help varies from local authority
to local authority, so you will need to contact them for an assessment if you
want to find out where you stand.

If you want to stay independent and in your home for as long
as possible, but you find that you are not eligible for local authority funding,
then the next step is to look at what help you need and what you can afford. A
good place to start is to go through our handy Care
Needs Helper, which aids you in identifying the key areas where extra help and
support is needed. This helps you to prioritise what needs to be done.

Then you can start to put together a care
plan. If you have the money, then hiring a paid carer is a great solution,
as you can have someone come to your home as and when you need them, and you
can ask them to help with any aspect of your care.